Wick adjuster



Jan. 11 1927- MGREGOR WI CK ADJUSTER Filed Dec. 9; 1925 Patented Jan. 11, 19 27.

NITED ST ERNEST E. MGGBEGOB, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

WICK ADJUSTER.

Application filed December .This invention relates to wick adjusters for a ships light, such as a riding light or running light, orI any light'in which the font isplacedin the frame from the bottom. In these ships lights the law requires the use ofa certainglass or globe such as Fresnel glass, and the use of this type of glass requires a construction which necessitates mounting of the font carrying the wick and. the adjusting means therefor by inserting it upwardlythrough the bottom. There are other types of lights which do not use this particular type of glass which are also so constructed thatthefont is inserted through the-bottom, and my wick adjusting means is equally adapted for this type of light. III-.these lights, in order to-lightthe wick it iis necessary to remove the font from the frame and adjust the wick outside before ILSertingit-in thezframe. The wick, therefore, must be set by guess because the conditions are different and the flame burns differently-when the font is mounted in the frame or lanternxthan itdoes when outside. It alsoburns differently after-the elements become warmed up than it does when the Wick ;is first lighted and the elements are cold. It is, therefore, necessary for the user inslighting the lantern to place it in positionffor a while till it warms up and then adjust ,the flame to the proper height. In ships lights tlllSzIIlQitIlS that the light must be taken into the cabin or some placeout .of-r the-wind, the'font removed, the wick adjusted (again .by guess) and the .font replacedin the lantern. 'This obviously is the cut and rtriy method and may mean several removals ofr'the font before theproper adjustment has been reached. Furthermore, the -vibration of anengine or dangling of theflight 'in the wind is'liable to jar the wick sorthatit-iszworkecl either up or down to reduoe the flameor cause it-to go out entirely.

s lt'is, therefore, an object; of my invention to provide a simple device'by which the'wick maybe adjusted while the fontis mounted in the frame and without-removing the font from the frame."

It is also an object-of the invention to provide an adjusting means which, after the Wick-has once been adjusted, willretain the wick in this'position, so that thefadjustrnent will not 'be changedvby vibration, arring, swinging in the :wind and so forth;.and it is a furt-her objectof the invention to pro- 9, 1925. Serial No. 74,306.

vide a device of this character which may be quickly and' easily attached toold lamps now in useas wellas new lamps withpractically no reconstruction ofthe lamp.

lVith the foregoing andv other objectsin view, I have devised a device,one fornro-f which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forininga part of this specification, similar reference characters being'employed throughout the various: figures to indicate corresponding elements. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section'through the lower portion of a shipls riding light showing my improved wick, adjusting deviceapplied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view of the font and its support 7 with my adjusting device attached, looking from the right of Fig. 1..

Fig. 3 is in, top plan view ofthe font and its support, the view being substantially on line 3-3, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a rear elevation of theadjusting device, and

F fig. 5 is an edgeelevation thereof.

In the lamp shown thelglass 1 0 is mounted in a metal frame-or base member 511. This base or frame has an inwardlyextending flange 12 at the bottom thereof provided with an opening 13 through which the .jfQllt 14 is inserted-and in which it is mounted. The font carries the usual wick 15,;which is adjusted by a shaft lfi oarryinga button 17 by which the shaft is rotatedto adjust; the wick up and down in the usual manner. The font is provided with a flange 1.8 forming a shoulder engaging theunderside ofvthe flange 12,and the font is securedinpo-sition by means of spring clamps 19. In-the forrn shown these clamps are fiat strips of metal bent to substantially the form shownin Fig. 2, the upper ends'being secured totheouter surface of the font by anysuitable means such as soldering, and intermediate :their lengths they are bent inwardly on -an.incline as shown at 20. The lower free ends are preferably widened somewhatto formfinger grips 21. When the font is insertedsthrough the opening 13 inthe base these springs will swinginwardly until the-bendat the upper end of the incline 20 passes through the opening, when these clips will springoutwardly andthis incline will rest on the top of the flange 12 and .by camming action thereon will clamp the flange 18 on thefontagainst the lower side of the flange 12,-they,

therefore, clamp the font in position, but it may, however, be removed by merely pressing the free ends 21 toward each other to remove the inclines from alignment with the flange 12. It will be apparent that by pressing these free ends inwardly a. short distance the spring clamps are relieved suiiiciently to allow the font to be turned in the frame, and then when the spring clips are released they will again clamp the font in the new position.

I have devised a simple and effective device which will utilize this turning movement of the font for adjusting the wick either up or down without removing the font from the lantern. The form shown in the drawings comprises a finger member 22. This member in the form shown comprises a flat strip of metal bent upon itself at 23 a suitable distance from its upper end to provide two clamping portions 2 1 and 25. Below the portion 25 the finger is bent outwardlly on an incline and then downwardly so that the free end portion 26 is offset from the body portion 25 for a purpose presently to be described. The two substantially parallel portions 24: and 25 are spaced from each other a su'liicient distance to allow for insertion of the button 17 between them, and the rear portion 2% is provided with an elongated slot 27 extending upwardly from its lower end to receive the shaft 16 so that this shaft holds the finger from sliding laterially off the button. The portion 25 may also be provided with an elongated opening 28 to receive the projecting end 29 of the shaft, and the portions 2 and 25 are clamped 011 the opposite sides of the button by the thumb screw 30 extending through the outer portion 25 and threaded into the inner portion 21. Thus the adjusting finger may be easily and quickly attached to the button and shaft and may be adjusted to any position desired about the shaft for proper adjustment of the wick and then clamped in this adjusted position. The lower end 26 of this finger extends through a notch 31 in the flange 12 of the base or frame at one side of the opening 18. It will now be apparent that if the font is turned in either direction the sides of the notch 31 will hold the lower free end of the finger stationary, and as the shaft is swung with the font as indicated by the arrows (a) in Fig. 2, the finger will in effect be swung around the shaft as a pivot as indicated in Fig. 2, and as it is rigidly clamped to the shaft it will rotate the shaft as indicated by arrows (b) and adjust the Wick up and down, depending in which direction the font is rotated. Thus the wick may be adjusted without removing the font from the lantern.

Another important efiect is that as the font is clamped in different positions by the spring clamps 19 the finger member 22 will be held stationary by the walls of the notch 31, and therefore, it will hold the wick sta tionary and in any given adjusted position so that it cannot be jarred either up or down by vibration of the engine, swinging in the wind and so forth.

With this device the font may be removed for cleaning, filling, ad usting and so forth practically as readily as it would without my attachment because the linger 22 will readily pass from the notch 31, and it may be as readily reinserted in this notch. It will be noted that when in position in the lantern the flange 18 on the font will retain this finger in the notch so that there is no danger of its accidentally being shifted out of the notch and becoming inoperative. It will be obvious that this notch is merely a sta tionary holding means for the free end of the finger so that the same effect will be socured with any other holding means such 18 lugs or an eye or the like. It is also to be noted that as this adjusting device is a separate and independent element it may be at-- tached to old lights now in use as readily as to new lights, the only operation on or change in the old structure required being merely to cut the notch 81 in the flange of the base member. This may be readily done with a file or other suit-able instrument. The elongated slots 27 and 28 allow the adjusting finger to be mounted on buttons of different sizes so that the same finger may be used on all different buttons found in this type of lamp. It will be apparent that in adjusting the wick all that is necessary is to drop the bottom cover 32 by releasing the spring catch 38, press inwardly a small amount on the spring clamps 19 and then turn the font either to the right or left the required amount to adjust the wick, and it will be obvious this may be done While the font is mounted in its regular position in the lantern. After adjustment the spring clamps will clamp the font in its new position, and will also through the finger 22 hold the wick in its adjusting position.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a lantern, a body, a font carrying a wick mounted in said body and capable of a turning movement therein, a shaft for adjusting the wick, and a finger member connected to said shaft and held by engagement with the body so that a turning movement of the font will swing said finger and turn the shaft.

2. In a lantern, a body having an opening for insertion of a font and provided with a notch at one side of said opening, a font carrying a wick mounted in said opening and capable of a turning movement therein, rotatable adjusting means for the wick, and an operating member secured to said adjusting means and having a free portion seated in said notch by which it is held so that a turning movement of the font Will swing said member and adjust the wick.

3. In a lantern, a body, a font carrying a wick mounted in said body and capable of a turning movement therein, a rotatable shaft for adjusting the wick, an operating button on the shaft, an operating member detachably clamped to the button so as to be carried thereby, and means on the body to engage the free portion of said member to hold the same and turn the button by a turning movement of the font.

4. In a lantern, a body, a font carrying a wick mounted in said body and capable of a turning movement therein, means for normally holding said font against turning movement, means for adjusting the Wick, and means connecting the adjusting means and the body member normally holding said adjusting means against movement and arranged to operate the adjusting means by a turning movement of the font.

5. In a lantern, a body, a font carrying a wick mounted in said body and capable of a turning movement therein, a rotatable shaft for adjusting the wick, an operating button on the shaft, an operating member comprising a flat strip bent upon itself to embrace said button and having a notch in one portion to receive said shaft, a screw to clamp the opposed portions of the strip to the button, and means on the body to hold the said member to swing the same and adjust the Wick by a turning movement of the font.

6. In a lantern a body having a flange provided with an opening for insertion of a font and provided with a notch at one side of said opening, a font mounted in said opening having a shoulder engaging the under side of the flange, spring clamps on the font arranged to engage the upper side of the flange to clamp the font thereto, a wick carried by the font, a shaft for adjusting the wick, an operating finger secured to the shaft and projecting through said notch and held in the notch by the font, said font being capable of turning movement to swing said finger and adjust the'wick.

7 In an adjusting device for a lamp wick mounted for adjustment by a rotatable shaft carrying an operating button, an operating member comprising a flat strip bent upon itself to embrace said button and having a notch in the free end of one side to receive the shaft, means to clamp the member to the button, and the other portion of the strip being provided with an extension forming an operating finger to turn the shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ERNEST F. MCGREGOR. 

